making a skid/questions

Weasel · Dec 20, 2004

Finished up my skid/cross member drawing and want some feedback. Plate wraps all the way from rail to rail, 3/16" thick, wraped/rolled edges, 10-15deg. bend in the center for strength. Internal braces are 3/16" as well. Using 1020 weighs about 17lbs which seems a little heavy to me considering I am going to have tranny skid and tcase skids of similar design in front/rear of this one. 3/16" would be as thin as I would want to go I would guess. What about the inner braces/go thinner/add more? I know the rolled edges will stiffen it up but will it be enough? tabs are for the tranny mounts and are drawn at 1/16" for anyone thats wondering. Dimensions aren't exact.

Wiley Coyote · Dec 20, 2004

My transfer case skid wraps from frame rail to frame rail like yours and is made from 3/16” plate steel. It doesn’t have rolled edges either, but they would be worth adding if you have the equipment to do it. It seems to be holding up fine, I wouldn’t go thicker for fear of adding too much weight. I would make the skid long enough to cover the t-case and tranny pan in one piece. If you are worried about the strength, 1020 steel can be heat-treated. If you have a couple of friends with propane torches and a water hose you could do it in your driveway. Of course I’d bend, drill and tap every thing BEFORE you harden it. If you wanted to make it really trick, the same design out of aluminum would be lighter as well as rust proof.

Beezil · Dec 20, 2004

Wiley Coyote said:
If you are worried about the strength, 1020 steel can be heat-treated. If you have a couple of friends with propane torches and a water hose you could do it in your driveway. .

this redneck technique won't do a damn thing.

this is NOT heat treating.

besides which, 1020 undergoes LITTLE change, even under PROPER conditions, and thats for RODS and SOLIDS.....not sheets.

Weasel · Dec 20, 2004

yeah I'm not even going to bother messing with heat treat. Like Beezil said doesn't do anything. I could bump it up to a better grade say some sort of carbon steel.

I will have another pan to protect the t-case and tranny, but snce this will be replacing my crossmember, I don't want to have to take the entire pan/corssmember off to access the tranny or tcase. This way I can leave everything suported and remove only front or rear sections.

Aluminums pretty much out. Talked to Jason Paule and he said it gouges, rips, gets holes torn in it on the rocks around here. Rather then slid it like steel it would gouge and hang you up.

Dirk Pitt · Dec 20, 2004

Weasel said:
I could bump it up to a better grade say some sort of carbon steel.

1020 is carbon steel (0.2%).

Beezil · Dec 20, 2004

any cold-rolled is fine.

don't try to make it strong using materials.

make it strong with geometery and form.

Weasel · Dec 20, 2004

yeah I meant a higher grade, sorry.

Anything specificaly Beezil? Skids are hard to work since you need to brace a flat sheet from deflection. I suppose you could add some braces coming to each side that have a tube to support the skid and attach to the floor, but would be a pain to remove.

robs · Dec 21, 2004

1020 has only 0.30-0.60% Mn and won't respond to ANY heat treatment. Period. You're peein in the wind even if you send it to a heat treater.

You need something with some horsepower. Go with 4130 (common sheet stock, get out your wallet.. I've got a 4'x4' chunk from the Hummer 1's in my garage they used for armor). There's many ASTM grades of HSLA's you can just weld and forget about... Look for grade 90 and above...

Weasel · Dec 21, 2004

What are the specs on chromo sheet? All I know is tubing and it's not really that much more maybe 10%. Of course you can heatreat it and the increase is overwhelming. But thats more $$$.

Basicly I'm looking for what kind of additonal bracing or structure I should add, or if I even need it.

Beezil · Dec 21, 2004

Weasel said:
yeah I meant a higher grade, sorry.

Anything specificaly Beezil? Skids are hard to work since you need to brace a flat sheet from deflection. I suppose you could add some braces coming to each side that have a tube to support the skid and attach to the floor, but would be a pain to remove.

think upside down "T" shape....

the stem is one or more pcs. of flatband you weld across the upper side between the frame rails.

Weasel · Dec 21, 2004

ok, similar to what I have in the center portion. I would think that these do not need to be very thick(under 1/8"), correct? For additonal support what if you where to make a "I" beam cross section with flat strips acrossed the top of the ribs conecting them? Or for that matter thin angle iron layed flat for ribs in a inverted "V" would probably work as well. Should the ribs run parallel or intersect?

Beezil · Dec 21, 2004

Weasel said:
ok, similar to what I have in the center portion. I would think that these do not need to be very thick(under 1/8"), correct? For additonal support what if you where to make a "I" beam cross section with flat strips acrossed the top of the ribs conecting them? Or for that matter thin angle iron layed flat for ribs in a inverted "V" would probably work as well. Should the ribs run parallel or intersect?

it sounds like you "see" the solution.

SEE the skidplate.

Be.......BE the skidplate.

Brian Felts · Dec 22, 2004

Ive got access to all kinds of plate steel and angle at work.also welders drill presses and torches and shears.My question is are the factory holes strong enought to bolt up to I was considering mimicking the factory design only w thicker steel.Im assuming I would need to put some one inch spacers between it and the unibody to match the trans drop and Ideas or links to drawings ? Oh and Beezil,have you eat any good curlys lately?

Beezil · Dec 22, 2004

Brian Felts said:
Oh and Beezil,have you eat any good curlys lately?

nope, too busy spray painting mustaches on baby jesus and whizzing on manger scenes.

I'll keep you posted.

Dylan90xj · Dec 22, 2004

hehehe...lemme guess...you're using SolidWorks and the first "mild" steel they list is 1020. Get a piece of 3/16" mild steel...in the words of my mentor..."If it looks right it probably is...if it doesn't, it isn't" It's a skid plate...don't over think it.
Control arms...put some thought into.

Beezil · Dec 22, 2004

Dylan90xj said:
hehehe...lemme guess...you're using SolidWorks and the first "mild" steel they list is 1020. Get a piece of 3/16" mild steel...in the words of my mentor..."If it looks right it probably is...if it doesn't, it isn't" It's a skid plate...don't over think it.
Control arms...put some thought into.

yep!

making a skid/questions

Weasel

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Wiley Coyote

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Beezil

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Weasel

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Dirk Pitt

Adam Dowling

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Weasel

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robs

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Weasel

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Weasel

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Brian Felts

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